Different Circumstances
by LongRider
Summary: What if Clark and Tess had met under different circumstances. What if Lionel had sent Tess to Smallville in the season 1 pilot?
1. Welcome to smallville

No copyright infringement or insult is intended. Reviews are welcome, lawsuits are not.

Beams of light briefly illuminated a pillar with the words Luthorcorp Fertiliser Plant No.3 on them before a ridiculously expensive sports car came around the final bend of the route to it's intended destination, travelling at a speed that held the same amount of contempt for the speed limits that the driver held for the surrounding area. The twin beams moved on to alight on a parking space set aside for v.i.p.'s and newly minted managing executives.

The sports car stopped with the suddenness of an angry stomping on the brake pedal. Before the single occupant took the time to both secure the car, shut off the finely tuned engine and find some much needed composure.

Stepping out into the crisp, clean midwest evening air in soft leather knee boots that were so sinfully comfortable that they made their wearer uncomfortable and a tailored outfit that had no practical use outside of meetings and boardrooms. The owner adjusted a coat that cost enough to feed a large family for over a month against a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature.

Already tired eyes took in what was no doubt going to become familiar surroundings for the next few years before staring daggers at the name of the company on the front of the building.

"Thanks . . . dad." Tess Mercer's mournful words carried the sad acceptance of what her life had become.


	2. First meeting

Memory was a fickle thing. It sometimes took a while to return.

Awareness was a little faster, but it came to Tess Mercer piece by piece.

She was looking at a clear blue sky. From a supine position on a sodden embankment. The sound of a running river unmistakable.

She knew her eyes had been closed for a while because the light was too bright right then.

She was also freezing and wet. _Have I been swimming? No, I'm still in the same outfit I had on at the meeting._

The meeting hadn't been anything beyond what she had expected. A group of distrustful board members who were resentful that some kid had been placed in a senior position to them. Tess Mercer knew the look in their eyes from long and personal experience with angry elders who had a lifetime of discontent built up inside them.

The only person who hadn't come to the meeting with any preconceptions had been the plant manager, Gabriel _just call me Gabe _Sullivan.

A genuinely good man who only wanted to do a good job and provide for his family. Gabe had no interest in office politics or oneupmanship. The man was an island of calm in a sea of crotchety old farts who thought they were sharks.

Tess had seen sharks. Both the kind that swam in the oceans and the kind that wore suits, _the ones in suits were far more dangerous._

Her biological father was one. It took all of her strength not to flinch when he smiled in her direction. _Any shark wrangler would tell you that when you could see teeth, it was a bad sign. _

Lionel Luthor had approached her at her graduation. Offering her a life that was better than the one she had and had never chosen for herself. He said he was her father, had a birth certificate and a story about how he had been searching for her for years.

The certificate was real. She still didn't know if she believed the words from that day. But she had accepted his offer.

And had questioned it ever since. _Even if it was a chance to make a real difference in the world._

She had left the meeting with a strong desire to take off the overpriced suit she had to wear and go for a nice relaxing swim.

Fortunately the mansion she now lived in had a pool.

Having more questions than answers, Tess badly needed to clear her head. As soon as possible.

She was distracted and hadn't seen whatever it was in the road until it was right in front of her car.

By then it was too late.

Fighting to regain control of a car that refused to respond. Tess barely had time to notice the dark haired boy in a tan jacket, jeans and work boots that appeared in her path before she crashed through the barrier.

_The boy?_

There had been a boy on the bridge.

_Where was he? . . . was he? . . . oh . . . please . . . no._

In answer to her plea, the boy appeared above her. A picture of health.

"Could have sworn I hit you." The words felt difficult with the relief overturning anguish.

"If you did . . . I'd be dead."


	3. Introductions

Tess Mercer had dreaded coming to Smallville.

What good was someone who trained to be a marine biologist working at a fertiliser factory in the farmland capital of the country?

Since she was seven years old, she'd spent every weekend, lunch break and free period in a library, nose deep in a book. Trying to learn as much as she could, as fast as she could so that she could escape an existence that included abusive parents who had traded dreams for comforts. So called peers who had traded hopes for distractions. And so many others who had traded wants for debts.

Tess Mercer had sworn she wouldn't become another statistic. Sworn she wouldn't turn out like so many others. Whose only contribution in life would be the space they filled and the trouble they caused others.

She'd managed to skip grades in school. Managed to complete her degree while staying ahead of crippling student loans. Managed to leave her joke of a home life behind as soon as possible. She'd accomplished so much all by herself and never looked back. Proving so many nay sayers wrong, beating odds nobody else could.

But it seems some things were inescapable. It was a sobering thought to realise her own mortality. Looking on as the now useless car was hoisted out of the river and onto a trailer for transport. Realising that sooner, or later, she'd make the worst kind of mistake and it would cost her dearly. Without having accomplished what she'd set out to do. Turning her into just another statistic.

If not for a local boy, who she could have sworn she hit, she would be dead. Tess realised today had been a close call and that she couldn't beat the odds forever.

On the bright side it had really put that board meeting into perspective. The accident having really helped to smack her priorities back into focus. Priorities that didn't include massaging the bruised egos of the board members. If they wanted to give her trouble out of some misplaced idea of scoring points then she would make them regret it.

She looked at her rescuer, Clark Kent, who sat wrapped in a red blanket just as bright as her own as he stared at the remains of the car, lost in his own thoughts. He'd somehow managed to avoid being hit by a speeding car, jump in after her and get her out to the embankment of the river and perform C.P.R. in time to save her life.

They had sat and talked for a while after the emergency crews had declared them healthy. Finding that they had a lot in common. He had come to the bridge to unwind and decompress, because not everybody in Smallville had a mansion with its own pool.

Much like herself, Clark Kent was something of a loner. He knew plenty of people, _in a small town it was impossible not to,_ but he had few close personal friends he could turn to when things became difficult. When Tess had difficulties she escaped into a book, or swam to exhaustion. Clark performed labor that had to be back breaking, _because it was almost impossible to run a farm the size he had described with just a family of three,_ or he looked at the stars through his telescope.

For the first time in a long time,Tess thought she might have made a friend.

Tess hadn't really had time for friends growing up. _Any potential friends she might have had were scared off by her parents reputation._ But someone like Clark was definitely worth having around. When she'd introduced herself she hadn't seen the flicker of recognition at her name. He didn't know who she was. He'd saved her life because he'd wanted to. Not because he thought he'd get a reward.

Her musings were interrupted by a tall man who obviously bought his clothes from the same place Clark did. Wrapping his own jacket around Clark as he shouted for the maniac who had been driving the car. Taking that as her cue. She got to her feet and had introduced herself. But kept her hands inside her blanket. Having learned a long time ago if she stuck out her hand it might get broken.

Jonathan Kent as he'd introduced himself, had taken one look and then asked if both she and Clark were alright. Taking her completely by surprise. It wasn't that he wasn't angry, she could see it in his eyes that he was, it was just that he cared more about his son than assigning blame.

Wondering at this curious turn of events and relishing her newfound anonymity. _Nobody here cared that she was Todd Mercer's little girl, nobody knew she was Lionel Luthor's illegitimate daughter._ Before she could stop herself, Tess made an offer she had never made before.

She offered to do anything to help.

Seeing the speed with which Jonathan Kents posture went rigid, Tess knew it was a mistake.

Expecting the violence that had dominated her home life growing up and resolving not to flinch. Tess was again taken by surprise.

"Drive slower." _That was it?_ No warnings to stay away. No threats of legal action?

Tess stood there in bewilderment as Clark and Jonathan Kent shared a look. Obviously clear to them, but indecipherable to her. At the end of which Jonathan Kent sighed and asked her if she had someone coming to get her.

Barely keeping her own flaring anger in check. Tess replied to his insincere pity. _ She wasn't some helpless child anymore._

"Don't you worry Mister Kent, I can take care of myself." After all, she had been for years. Looking past the elder Kent to the younger one, Tess briefly smiled.

"Thanks for saving my life Clark." Nodding in acknowledgement, Clark replied.

"You're welcome. I'm sure you would do the same for me."

Tess' eyes studied Clark as he walked up the embankment back to the road. _What an interesting man._


End file.
